Queuing Etiquette / personal space

If i was on a London tube i would dress as a mad person....I'd stare at people.....talk to train ghosts and secure my adequate space....
In reality...I don't do well on tubes, I'm like a rabbit caught in headlights the whole journey.... good on you for suffering that. I work locally so I can avoid such awfulness!
Scottishphototours.... too risky in Essex i'm afraid ;)

If i was on a London tube i would dress as a mad person....I'd stare at people.....talk to train ghosts and secure my adequate space....

In reality...I don't do well on tubes, I'm like a rabbit caught in headlights the whole journey.... good on you for suffering that. I work locally so I can avoid such awfulness!

I usually find it's older people in sainsburys, they bump their trollies into the back of your legs to try to make you move quickly, even to the point of getting to the chip & pin machine whilst you are trying to pack. I did say to one the other day, with a nice smile, "would you jump into my grave quite so quickly?" They moved back after that.

I usually find it's older people in sainsburys, they bump their trollies into the back of your legs to try to make you move quickly, even to the point of getting to the chip & pin machine whilst you are trying to pack. I did say to one the other day, with a nice smile, "would you jump into my grave quite so quickly?" They moved back after that.

People in Paris queue much closer together than in the UK, if you’re lucky enough to find a functional queue at all. (My computer’s dictionary proceeds the definition of ‘queue’ with ‘chiefly Brit.’)
Here, people often come around me and stand practically by my side, while ostensibly still queueing behind me. Being bumped in queues is the norm. If you leave two feet in front of you, or six inches, people will join the queue in the gap, since you’re plainly not queueing (or not sufficiently serious about your place: tantamount to the same thing!).
Likewise, in restaurants and cafés you’re often so tightly packed you can’t leave your seat without moving the (tiny) table, asking your neighbour to move (who asks her neighbour, etc.), or being winched from above.
The Métro is packed, noisy, and – yes – smelly. I love it.
I think a bit of contact with strangers is healthy. Public spaces in the UK often feel cold and sterile by comparison to those in many countries.

People in Paris queue much closer together than in the UK, if you’re lucky enough to find a functional queue at all. (My computer’s dictionary proceeds the definition of ‘queue’ with ‘chiefly Brit.’)

Here, people often come around me and stand practically by my side, while ostensibly still queueing behind me. Being bumped in queues is the norm. If you leave two feet in front of you, or six inches, people will join the queue in the gap, since you’re plainly not queueing (or not sufficiently serious about your place: tantamount to the same thing!).

Likewise, in restaurants and cafés you’re often so tightly packed you can’t leave your seat without moving the (tiny) table, asking your neighbour to move (who asks her neighbour, etc.), or being winched from above.

The Métro is packed, noisy, and – yes – smelly. I love it.

I think a bit of contact with strangers is healthy. Public spaces in the UK often feel cold and sterile by comparison to those in many countries.

I'm lucky enough to rarely end up in queues, but I have had one or two experiences, mostly in the Post Office, where the next person after me has stood close behind me, shuffling their feet, sighing, tutting...obviously impatient. Very annoying. And I have to admit it irritated me enough that when it was my turn to be served I took my own sweet time about it. Petty of me, I know, and the other person maybe had a very good reason for their impatience, but I do dislike being pushed.
The other, similar, situation is being tailgated when you're driving. I'm much more likely to slow down if somebody does that to me. Although one time, switching my lights on was enough to get them to back off a bit...must have thought I was braking, or something!

I'm lucky enough to rarely end up in queues, but I have had one or two experiences, mostly in the Post Office, where the next person after me has stood close behind me, shuffling their feet, sighing, tutting...obviously impatient. Very annoying. And I have to admit it irritated me enough that when it was my turn to be served I took my own sweet time about it. Petty of me, I know, and the other person maybe had a very good reason for their impatience, but I do dislike being pushed.

The other, similar, situation is being tailgated when you're driving. I'm much more likely to slow down if somebody does that to me. Although one time, switching my lights on was enough to get them to back off a bit...must have thought I was braking, or something!

Happens to often for me in supermarkets, when I want to pay my bill by card they stand next to me obvously aware as they are trying to look away, I wont input my pin untill they move away and stand there waiting they realise

Happens to often for me in supermarkets, when I want to pay my bill by card they stand next to me obvously aware as they are trying to look away, I wont input my pin untill they move away and stand there waiting they realise

[quote]Although one time, switching my lights on was enough to get them to back off a bit...must have thought I was braking, or something[/quote]
A bit off subject but it reminded me of an incident that happened to a female friend of ours back in the early '70s, when cars weren't so reliable. Her car broke down at the lights and the "impatient one" behind promptly started with his horn. Our friend, a big strapping girl, got out of her car and went to his, tapped on his window and when it was wound down explained she was only a women, she did know how to blow his horn for him though so maybe he would like to try to fix her car while she hooted it for him. The funny thing was that he did and they ended up friends!
So who knows, maybe we should try to make friends with the pushy people in the queue?
Could be fun - "hello, you like nice - do you want to be my friend" :P

Quote:Although one time, switching my lights on was enough to get them to back off a bit...must have thought I was braking, or something

A bit off subject but it reminded me of an incident that happened to a female friend of ours back in the early '70s, when cars weren't so reliable. Her car broke down at the lights and the "impatient one" behind promptly started with his horn. Our friend, a big strapping girl, got out of her car and went to his, tapped on his window and when it was wound down explained she was only a women, she did know how to blow his horn for him though so maybe he would like to try to fix her car while she hooted it for him. The funny thing was that he did and they ended up friends!

So who knows, maybe we should try to make friends with the pushy people in the queue?

Living in Tenerife, we have a lot of locals who come from South America, Argentina, Venezuela etc. These people hate the British and are so ignorant when in a queue. Their breath stinks of garlic, enough to make your eyes water and turn your stomach over. They push in the queue, barge into you when going around the supermarket, never give way, even on the roads. They are the most obnoxious people on this planet. Even the Spanish language is South American and not the normal Spanish spoken on mainland Spain. Think yourself lucky you don´t have these animals living near you.
Stephen

Living in Tenerife, we have a lot of locals who come from South America, Argentina, Venezuela etc. These people hate the British and are so ignorant when in a queue. Their breath stinks of garlic, enough to make your eyes water and turn your stomach over. They push in the queue, barge into you when going around the supermarket, never give way, even on the roads. They are the most obnoxious people on this planet. Even the Spanish language is South American and not the normal Spanish spoken on mainland Spain. Think yourself lucky you don´t have these animals living near you.
Stephen

[quote]If i was on a London tube i would dress as a mad person....I'd stare at people.....talk to train ghosts and secure my adequate space....
In reality...I don't do well on tubes, I'm like a rabbit caught in headlights the whole journey.... good on you for suffering that. I work locally so I can avoid such awfulness!
Scottishphototours.... too risky in Essex i'm afraid ;)[/quote]
When on a train and somebody approaches the empty seat next to you, make eye contact and pat the empty seat next to you.
All the space you want:D

Quote:If i was on a London tube i would dress as a mad person....I'd stare at people.....talk to train ghosts and secure my adequate space....

In reality...I don't do well on tubes, I'm like a rabbit caught in headlights the whole journey.... good on you for suffering that. I work locally so I can avoid such awfulness!

Scottishphototours.... too risky in Essex i'm afraid

When on a train and somebody approaches the empty seat next to you, make eye contact and pat the empty seat next to you.
All the space you want

When on a train and somebody approaches the empty seat next to you, make eye contact and pat the empty seat next to you.
All the space you want:D[/quote]
This made me giggle ou loud....yep eye contact...seat tapping seems the way forward....I may even turn to lick the windows before resuming eye contact with a smile :P

When on a train and somebody approaches the empty seat next to you, make eye contact and pat the empty seat next to you.
All the space you want

This made me giggle ou loud....yep eye contact...seat tapping seems the way forward....I may even turn to lick the windows before resuming eye contact with a smile